Nov 3

Good morning! We’ve got another great guest post lined up for you today on Glass Alley. This one comes from the chef mastermind behind Cava Grill. He’s got a fantastic seasonal salad to share with you, and we’re already heading to buy the ingredients to make it.

From Chef Dimitri:

“I love going to the farmers’ market every week and just looking at what’s in season — what looks ripe and fresh and delicious. This salad incorporates some of those fall flavors with a really flavorful dressing. It’s perfect as a side dish with a ribeye or roasted chicken — or a fresh lunch option, too.”

Dimitri Moshovitis is the chef and cofounder of Cava Grill. The brainchild of childhood friends, Ike Grigoropoulos, Ted Xenohristos, and Dimitri Moshovitis, Cava Grill was derived from Cava Mezze full-service restaurants, which was founded in 2006 and has quickly become one of Washington, DC’s most esteemed destinations for Greek-inspired fare.

Cava Grill’s and Moshovitis’s commitment to authentic food is derived from his cofounders’ mothers’ heritage-steeped Greek cooking, which they’ve shared with family and friends for years and now share with hungry consumers in and around the DC market.

Moshovitis’s popular dips and spreads from the restaurants including Crazy Feta, tzatziki, and hummus, are also sold under the Cava Foods product line at Whole Foods Markets and other natural foods retailers in nine states.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place garlic and shallot on a piece of parchment paper-lined foil, drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Wrap package to enclose, and roast until garlic and shallot are very soft, about 45 minutes. Set aside to cool. Remove garlic from each clove, and peel shallot.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine roasted garlic and shallot, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and lemon juice. With machine running, drizzle in oil; process until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

For the salad

2 large potatoes boiled till fork tender, peeled and cut into large cubes

1 pint mini heirloom tomatoes, halved

1 green apple, julienned

1 cup roughy chopped purple kale, or whatever kale you have on hand

1/4 cup of any herbs available at the market, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

For assembly

In a large bowl, add potatoes, kale, apple, and tomatoes, and season with salt and cracked pepper